


Old Friends

by MiniNephthys



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children, 大海原と大海原 | Oounabara to Wadanohara | Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea
Genre: Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 13:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1942518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey, Ver, you’re not going to fight, are you?  I mean, the witch is-”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Post-Normal End 1.

Ver keeps an ear to the ground.

After narrowly escaping the incident in Wadanohara’s sea, how can she not worry? Makai is an island kingdom, and the Sea of Death swallows up sea after sea and takes islands with scant resistance. The Sea of Death leaves few survivors and employs only one ambassador, so most of what the demons know is inferred by suddenly losing all contact with a country.

The last kingdom they’ve lost contact with is the island nearest to them. Makai stops allowing demons to travel in that direction when they stop coming back.

It doesn’t surprise Ver, then, when the announcement is heard across the entire kingdom. Stones carry Prince Setsuna’s voice to every town and village:

“Makai will be under attack by sea within twenty-four hours - all those incapable of combat, relocate to the royal castle. Those who’re willing to fight, please move to the nearest government office, where you’ll receive orders.”

It doesn’t surprise Ver, but it does make her skin clammy as she gathers up her things. She’s currently living on the edge of the island nearest to the Sea of Death, and this will be the first line of defense.

“Oh dear… Do you think it’s that sea?” Laurentia asks, next to her.

“Who else could it be, dumbass?” replies Vendetto. “Hey, Ver, you’re not going to fight, are you? I mean, the witch is-”

“I know that!” Ver snaps. “That’s why I’m going to fight. You can run if you want to.”

They look at each other, and each shake their heads.

The government office isn’t as packed as Ver had hoped it would be, but there’s a fair few volunteers there. Demons aren’t always the most patriotic, but they’re no idiots either, and they must realize that the castle is a temporary refuge at best and that there is no guaranteed escape from this attack. Ver stands straight as two figures she recognizes inspect the troops.

The king of demons has two children by witches, Prince Setsuna and Princess Mirai. Both of them take after their witch mothers more than after him, but they are by blood the joint heirs to the throne. They get along extremely well, and though there have been a few plots to remove one to manipulate the other, they have ended poorly for those plotting. The witch princess and sorcerer prince work in tandem on most topics of ruling.

Beside Princess Mirai is a boy in green, who Ver recognizes as Zebul. Though he looks young, she knows he could destroy her in an instant if he wanted to. Easily the most powerful demon after the king, Zebul is a general, an advisor to the royal family, and a demon to be feared.

When Mirai and Zebul reach her, Ver speaks up in a rush. “Princess, I used to know the witch of the Sea of Death- I don’t know how much of her fighting style is the same now but I’ve fought her before.”

Mirai and Zebul stop. “Would you tell us what you know?” asks Mirai. “It might be helpful.”

Ver tells her. Every spell Wadanohara has used against her, and though she doesn’t know how many of her familiars are still alive, those as well. Zebul writes down what she says, and at the end, Mirai puts a hand on her shoulder.

“...Princess?”

“Thank you. You’re dismissed,” she says. “You don’t need to fight your friend. Go to the castle.”

Ver starts, “But I-”

“Are you disobeying an order?” asks Mirai.

“...With due respect, my friend wouldn’t have wanted this,” says Ver, aware that every pair of eyes in the room is fixed on her. “Because I was her friend, I can’t let this go on.”

Mirai pauses to consider. “My brother said something a lot like that, once. Okay. You can stay and fight.”

“Thank you,” says Ver. Mirai nods and moves down the line.

“You’re a good friend,” says Zebul, moving to follow. “If you survive, come see us.”

Praise from Zebul in any other situation might have lightened Ver’s heart a little, but now she only steels herself and waits for placement orders.

She’s placed somewhat inland, blocking one of the major roads to the rest of the kingdom along with a few other demons. From her location, she can hear the sounds of battle and death before she can see it.

It isn’t as long as twenty-four hours before enemies are approaching. She hopes the rest of the demons managed to get to the castle, and then she recognizes the enemy leader and her breath stops.

“Ver~” Wadanohara calls out. “Oh, it’s so good to see you, Ver!”

“...Wish I could say the same.”

Wadanohara smiles, no, it’s too frightening to be a smile. “Won’t you come with me? I’m having so much fun, and I want you to have fun too!”

Ver readies her claws. “No.”

The witch that used to be Wadanohara blinks at her. “But, why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“We used to be friends,” says Ver. “You’ve changed. You’ve gone somewhere I don’t want to follow, not even if hell freezes over.”

“But-”

“No buts.” Ver takes a step forward. “One of us is going to die here. I’m gonna try to make it you… for your old self’s sake.”

Wadanohara considers, then giggles. “Well, if you want to play that way… It’ll be fine! I’ll just knock you out and bring you back, and then you’ll have all the time in the world to think it over.”

“...Let’s see you try.”


End file.
